FULHAM star Joao Palhinha has revealed a shock transfer offer from West Ham was made before his failed Bayern Munich pursuit.
The Portuguese ace had his medical tests done in Germany last summer ahead of a £55m transfer to Bayern, yet the deal collapsed as Fulham failed to find a replacement before the window shut.
Marco Silva’s side took the 28-year-old from Sporting in the summer of 2022 and he starred in his debut season at Fulham, scoring four goals from 40 games.
The Fulham star’s fine displays had convinced Bayern Munich to bet on him but the deal ended up falling through.
But it was not just the Bundesliga side who wanted Palhinha’s signatures as the Hammers also approached the midfielder.
And in the end, the Cottagers ended up extending Palhinha’s contract until 2028 with an option for another year.
The Portugal international was asked if the renewal was a result of the failed move to Bayern but the star ended up revealing the Hammers made an offer before the German side in the summer.
He told O Jogo: “At the time, I had received an excellent offer from West Ham and had a conversation with Fulham’s owner, who committed himself to renewing my contract.
“I took it as a vote of confidence. I never expected that Bayern would turn up in the final stages of the market.”
The former Sporting man did not provide further details of West Ham’s offer and whether it was him, Fulham or both who turned it down.
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After West Ham sold Declan Rice for a club record of £100million they were on the hunt for another defensive midfielder like Palhinha.
David Moyes‘ side ended up recruiting Edson Alvarez from Ajax who has been an excellent addition to the East London squad.
Meanwhile, Palhinha who has been integral to Silva’s plans for Fulham could still face transfer attempts again in the summer.
